so are we SURE that monarch is Captain Atom?

[Omega the Unknown]

cause the way Monarch is talking and being portrayed is more like how a Doc Doom or someone would talk, nothing like Cap Atom has been portrayed in the past.

I just finished reading captain atom armageddon, and I just dont see any resemblance between the two characters.

maybe its been hundreds of years for him but just a few for everyone else since he was release in bludhaven and spent time in the bleed, and thats why he is so different?

[Spiffy]

I think some big assumptions are being made. I mean just because we saw Captain Atom in that armor doesn't mean he's the only one wearing something like that.

Then again, couldn't it be argued that his time in Bludhaven might have changed him quite a bit? I mean theres a pretty good chance it would leave him with a grudge. Maybe against all humanity, if it drove him batty enough.

Then again, in his brief appearance in Ion (assuming that was him) he didn't seem all that unhinged or evilish.

[Captain Jim]

The DC writers and editors have pretty much said that it's Captain Atom.

[PatchMadripoor]

according to the DC interviews, Captain Atom/Monarch has had enough exposure beyond the bleed and other worlds for him to have a unusual perspective to maintaining the status of DC New Earth universe.

His exposure to the "out there" has given him some purpose that we are not aware of and for Nathanial Adam's purposes the Monarch monicker will be more useful.

[Man In Black]

cause the way Monarch is talking and being portrayed is more like how a Doc Doom or someone would talk, nothing like Cap Atom has been portrayed in the past.I thought the same thing while i was reading countdown...moinarch dosent act like Captain Atom at all....much more maniacal

Maybe this is a fcase of DIni just not knowing the character...

[David O Burcham]

I don't see Monarch/Captain Atom as being characterized as "maniacal" at all. It seems to me that he has gathered an army to put a stop to the Monitors that are planning on killing all of the characters they consider anomolies (Jason Todd, Kyle Raynor, Donna Troy). Now Forerunner... she's got a maniacal hatred for the Monitors. Monarch is using her hatred for them as a weapon to stop what he deems as a threat to the entire multiverse.

[Super Buddies Forever]

I've heard it suggested that it may be the Nathaniel Adam from Extreme Justice, the alternate version who became Monarch after meeting Extant.

[Blueferret]

I don't see Monarch/Captain Atom as being characterized as "maniacal" at all. It seems to me that he has gathered an army to put a stop to the Monitors that are planning on killing all of the characters they consider anomolies (Jason Todd, Kyle Raynor, Donna Troy). Now Forerunner... she's got a maniacal hatred for the Monitors. Monarch is using her hatred for them as a weapon to stop what he deems as a threat to the entire multiverse.

That's a pretty big leap. He goes from the Wildstorm U to Bloodhaven and then all of a sudden he's got a friggin armada? That just doesn't jive with me. He needed the Monarch suit to contain his leaking energy. That was only a few months ago, DCU time. He's got the suit under control and managed to gather an army in that time?

[MWGallaher]

I've given up hoping anything tricky is going on in Countdown. Black Adam is Black Adam, not Eclipso in disguise. Monarch is Captain Atom, no matter the coloring mistake, not some alternate version. This is the "New Earth" Jimmy Olsen, and everybody knows who Jason Todd is there, it's not the Earth-2 Jimmy Olsen, even if "his" Superman had the Earth-2 Superman "sweater sleeves". I'd like to be proven wrong, but I don't think that'll happen any more: what you see is what you get: assume the most obvious explanation of events.

[IMJ]

I really got into the Armageddon 2001 annuals years ago, but after Armageddon Inferno, I stopped following all of the characters that were put into prominance in that series.

I thought that Hawk from the Hawk & Dove pairing was Monarch. What happened there? Can someone bring me up to speed?

[Captain Jim]

I really got into the Armageddon 2001 annuals years ago, but after Armageddon Inferno, I stopped following all of the characters that were put into prominance in that series.

I thought that Hawk from the Hawk & Dove pairing was Monarch. What happened there? Can someone bring me up to speed?

This from Mike Marts and Adam Beechen over at Newsarama:

NRAMA: Okay - Monarch...let's bring in whos and hows for folks who may not know him...who is he?

MM: See Wikipedia! Just kidding. Monarch—once upon a time in the future—was some evil guy in high-tech armor who ruled over all and was hated by everybody. The catch, however, was that the true identity of Monarch was an actual DC hero! After some big battles, etc. in Armageddon 2001, it was revealed that Hank Hall--a.k.a. Hawk (of Hawk & Dove fame)--was the guy who eventually became Monarch. Still with me? Okay. Then, later on, Monarch and Captain Atom fought a little bit, got sent back in time together, and eventually Captain Atom was given the Monarch armor through some weird timestream/duplicate copy explanation. Oh yeah, he’s also hung out in parallel universes, the Bleed, and has been known to pal around with Parallax.

Hm. Maybe you should see Wikipedia after all.

AB: If I can try…Monarch is the identity Captain Atom assumed after his dimension hopping experience in the Armageddon limited series. The armor he wears contains his unstable, and incredibly powerful, energies.

[Buried Alien]

Whoever Monarch turns out to be, I feel that it somehow makes sense that there's a connection between Monarch and the Monitors. Even back during ARMAGEDDON 2001, I felt that there was a certain amount of resemblance between Monarch's body armor and the Monitor's.

Buried alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[IMJ]

This from Mike Marts and Adam Beechen over at Newsarama:

Thank you for the update, there CJ!

[blackphoenix]

Well, he took off the helmet in Ion and Kyle called him Captain Atom, AND there was an article in Wizard about him becoming Monarch...

[Malaclypse]

Seeing as Cap'n A has been treated as poorly as any other Ditko created character since the end of Cary Bates's run on his title I wouldn't be surprised to see him turning villain.

The original character was very much a product of the cold war, and it was nice that Bates gave him a bit of a 60s hippy outlook juxtaposed with his military background in the DC revamp.

My favourite idea now is that since DC is becoming fond of the 'bait and switch', and have previously changed who was inside the armour (15 years ago, before the internet posted spoilers for everyone) then the identity of Monarch will be revealed as a surprise again.

It's probably an unrealistic dream from an aging fanboy, but I live in hope.

[Titanium]

I notice everyone's assuming the Monarch/Cap Atom has gone evil. Who's to say he's not going to turn out to be the good guy in all this?

I haven't gotten a bad guy vibe off the Monarch yet. Sure he's got a big bleed occupying armada to fight the Monitors, whom we know nothing of yet but at least know one wants to kill all anomalies and is convincing the others to do so, but that doesn't make him a bad guy.

From his appearence in Ion I got that he was on the run from the Monitors, probably the Monitor killing people, and wants to stop whatever theyre doing. So what are they doing?

I'm really expecting the Monarch and his army to be the good guys in all this.

[Rollo_Tomasi]

wait a minute, did they say the Monarch was known to hang out with Parallax? When did this happen?

[Expletive Deleted]

wait a minute, did they say the Monarch was known to hang out with Parallax? When did this happen?Zero Hour, as Extant.

[Malaclypse]

Zero Hour, as Extant.

Which was Hank Hall/Hawk in the armour, and who is now dead, killed by Atom Smasher/Android Hourman.

Nate Adam/Captain Atom in the armour hasn't been shown to be pally with Parallax at all.

[Joe Acro]

After reading issue #43, I don't see how anyone can still make the claim that it's Captain Atom. He takes off his mask to reveal a white-skinned face. The last time Captain Atom took off his helmet, he was still silver. On top of the that, the face doesn't look like Nate's, aside from the lack of pupils.

[Captain Jim]

After reading issue #43, I don't see how anyone can still make the claim that it's Captain Atom. He takes off his mask to reveal a white-skinned face. The last time Captain Atom took off his helmet, he was still silver.

DC has already said that was a coloring mistake.

[Joe Acro]

DC has already said that was a coloring mistake.Or maybe that's just what they want you to believe.;) :D